The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies

Welcome to The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. This is the 17th annual survey of our original list, and its appearance each year is a high-profile event in the nation’s business calendar.

The data-gathering and analysis used across all sectors are extensive. The views of 270,429 employees have determined the rankings in all our lists. So it’s the staff themselves, the people whose hard work builds the success of these organisations -- whether they’re lawyers, mechanics or shop assistants -- who are giving opinions about their employers and their working environments.

And once a company is on one of our lists, they have to work hard to stay there. In all, 857 organisations registered to take part in this year’s survey and there are 82 new entries on our final line-up of 330, displacing many from previous years who failed to make the grade this time.

Our lists honour:

■ The 100 Best Companies to Work For in the mid-size category (250-3,000 employees).

■ The 30 Best Big Companies to Work For (3,000-plus).

■ The 100 Best Small Companies to Work For, which covers SMEs (50-250 staff).

■ The 100 Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work For recognises public-sector bodies, charities and housing associations of all sizes.